Falling Down
by samanddianefan10
Summary: Sequel to Dirty Little Secret. Holly and Toby have it all- a perfect marriage and a baby on the way. Sometimes things aren't always what they appear. Holly finds that letting go of the past isn't as easy as she thought it would be.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is the sequel to my story Dirty Little Secret. In this Holly and Toby are married after she had cheated on Michael. This time the chapters will be much longer. Thanks for reading. **

Holly just got back from the doctor's and couldn't believe what he had said. Pregnant! This was too good to be true! She and her husband Toby had been trying for over two years and now she could tell him the good news. She had suspected that she was for about two weeks but she didn't want to say anything to Toby until she found out for sure. It would be unfair to him to get his hopes up after everything they'd been through to be together. It had definitely been a long road, but it was worth it for her, Toby, Sasha, and now their little one to be a family. A happy one at that.

"Honey, are you home?" Toby called out, noticing the door was unlocked.

"Yes baby, I'm in the other room. You'd better sit down." Holly walked quickly to the kitchen where her husband was pouring himself a glass of milk.

"What's wrong? How did your doctor's visit go? Is your iron still low? Did they check your lead level? I knew we should have had the lead levels in this house tested," he looked at the walls. "Maybe it's time to re-paint."

"Baby look at me," Holly ordered. "I don't care about the paint. Not right now. I care about you and the baby."

"Baby-what baby?"

"You remember the day Michael went to the conference and we left two hours early?" she smiled.

Toby nodded, remembering a not so productive day at the office but a very productive one in the bedroom.

"Well our numbers are about to increase by one around in our house," she smiled at him.

It began to sink in what she was saying. "You mean…"

Holly nodded. "We're having a baby."

Toby didn't get excited often, but this would be one of those rare occasions he would always remember. It wasn't like when Kathy told him she was pregnant, and he had to marry her. No, this time there was no doubt that he was having a baby for all the right reasons-with a woman who loved him as much as he loved her.

"Are you sure?"

"The doctor confirmed it. I'm almost two months, which is when Michael went to the conference. Not that we haven't been trying," Holly grinned. "Not that we have to stop, either."

Toby looked at her. "Are you suggesting what I think you are?" he laughed.

"Are you getting shy on me?"

"Me, shy?" he laughed again. "You must have me confused with somebody else." He took her hand and led her upstairs, where they started to replay the events of two months ago all over again.

0000

His breathing labored as he pushed further inside of her, mindful of the new life inside of his wife. This time that they were making love was different; it had taken on a new intensity yet at the same time Holly had the feeling Toby was holding back. As she writhed underneath him, he carefully controlled his movements, showing restraint that had been the opposite of what she was used to.

"Oh Toby," she cried out, with a tone he didn't recognize. " The way she said his name made him feel almost the way Michael did-small and belittled. It was humiliating. But it was too late to stop. He kept going, looking over Holly's shoulder, for what seemed like an eternity ( at least to Holly); finally he got his desired results. Rolling over, he didn't even kiss his wife goodnight. There was no point. There really wasn't much to be thankful for at that moment. The silence was louder than any words they could have spoken.

Toby kept telling himself what a failure he was. That was the first time he had disappointed his wife. This wife anyhow. He'd gotten used to Kathy directing him in the bedroom. Faster. Harder. Not there. Over there. Never mind. Just forget it. But not with Holly. She made him feel like he could do anything, and now he had let her down.

The worst part was that he didn't know what he had done wrong. He was trying to protect her, keep her and the baby safe, the way a man should. Too many times in his life he had been been made to feel like he wasn't a real man and for the past few years he felt like he could do anything.

Well almost anything. For two years he and Holly had been trying to conceive, and when they hadn't, he suspected the problem was with him . It usually was. It was hard to feel like a man when he couldn't give his wife the one thing she wanted more than anything in the world. But to Holly's credit she hadn't said anything to make him feel like anything less than the husband she wanted. She seemed proud of him and vowed they would never give up. If she believed in him he owed it to her to do the same. That's the least he could do for the woman who had given him everything he had ever wanted. And then some.


	2. Chapter 2

She was sick a lot, and Michael's humor didn't help. He would leave tuna salad or egg salad sandwiches for her every day on her desk, presumably payback for her leaving him at the altar to marry Toby. It was childish, spiteful and rude-very Michael.

Still, neither Toby nor Holly blamed Michael for acting that way. It was hurtful when he decided to ban baby showers at work; that was a direct slap in the face to the both of them. But again, neither of them had it in their hearts to hate him. If anything they pitied him. They talked about it and they knew what he must be thinking- that it should be his baby Holly was carrying. She sometimes wondered if that's what others in the office thought too. After she came back from her wedding she felt like she wore a scarlet A on her chest every day. No one said anything to make her feel bad. In fact they were quite supportive. Pam said if it was a girl she had some baby clothes for her. But in Holly and Toby's hearts they knew their affair hadn't been quite forgotten by the staff. Angela was particularly spiteful, saying she fully supported Michael's ban. It wasn't as if she felt a particular sense of loyalty to Michael; her personal sense of ethics disturbing, her own with Dwight aside.

Sometimes Michael would continue to berate Toby, then other times he would give him the silent treatment, which was almost worse than the comments. At least with the comments Toby knew Michael was getting some kind of satisfaction out of them. With the silence Toby knew he was still suffering. Toby felt bad that his happiness had come at such a high price. Michael was dating and had made achievements in his career; these wouldn't have been possible if he hadn't done something constructive with his anger. That's when his office family had rallied around him, and helped fill the void that was so painfully obvious to those around him.

As bad as he felt, Toby knew he had no time to worry too much about Michael and the past. He was going to be a father again. That meant worrying about Sasha, doctor's appointments, ultrasounds, and food cravings at 2 a.m. All he knew was that he was part of a family, a real family, and he'd do whatever it took to make them happy.

He was doing everything he could to make Holly happy. He held her hair for her in the bathroom, massaged her back, brought home KFC when she was too sick to cook, and then threw it away when it turned out it didn't smell as good as it had sounded. If she was a little short with him, he knew it was due to the pregnancy. At least that's what he told himself. Getting yelled at was nothing new to him. She wouldn't be like this forever. Kathy had yelled at him, Michael yelled at him; it was his lot in life. Holly loved him. That was certain. Holly couldn't help it. She was sick and tired and overworked. It was all she could do to stay awake at work. That he understood. It wasn't like they had the most glamorous job. Even he fought the temptation to take a nap at work. There was a place for sleeping in the warehouse. He would have taken advantage of it, if it weren't for the fact that it was used for things other than sleeping. Sometimes he knew too much about his job.

It would get better; that was his mantra. The only difference was, this time, he believed it.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3

Holly and Toby noticed that Michael kept staring at her, but he wouldn't approach. They had quickly learned that his version of the silent treatment masked his world of pain, a world she and Toby were responsible for. Holly was worried; it had been three years, more than enough time for a normal person to have moved on. But Michael Scott wasn't, by any stretch of the imagination, a normal person. He felt things deeply. When he loved, he loved with all of his heart. And when he hated, well, he never forgot who wronged him. The trouble was he couldn't reconcile the fact that he was supposed to hate someone he still loved.

And he still loved Holly. He hated himself for it but Michael knew that he would never meet a woman who got him the way she did. They had shared the same jokes. She accepted him the way he was-unconditionally. Now she was busy sharing boring inside jokes-with Toby boring Flenderson and they were spawning a boring baby. What he hated about himself was that he was already picturing a red headed baby whom everyone would fuss over-including himself. Damn his weaknesses.

Holly knocked on Michael's door. Startled, he smiled halfheartedly. "Come in.

He stood up and pulled out her chair. He was nothing if not a gentleman.

"Can I get you anything? Crackers! How about some crackers?"

"That would be lovely," she smiled.

Michael picked up the phone. "Ryan, can you drive to the Kroger's and pick up a box of crackers-the unsalted type?"

"But that's twenty blocks away!" Ryan protested as Michael hung up.

"With an attitude like that he'll never get anywhere," Michael pointed out. Holly laughed, then he did too. After a minute, they were both thinking the same thing- it was almost like old times.

"This is nice," Holly smiled. Michael found himself smiling back in spite of it all.

"Yeah it is. It seems like just yesterday you were about to make a pledge to God to love, honor, and obey me, when- you didn't."

"Oh Michael. First of all, I never would have agreed to obey you."

"Yeah, apparently so," he fake smiled.

"I'm so sorry. I want you to know how much I loved you and I still do. I wouldn't trade our time together for anything," Holly started.

"You still love me? Enough to run away to Tahiti together?"

She couldn't tell if he was joking or serious. Better to be on the safe side with him. "No Michael, I'm not leaving Toby."

Michael's voice cracked as he looked at her. "I miss you Hol."

Her eyes welled up with tears and though she was quite happy where she was in life, she meant it when she replied, "I miss you too." As they stood to embrace, a not very understanding Toby walked by, quite puzzled by what he had just witnessed.

0000

At night, after the business of the evening wore down, Holly was changing into her pajamas when Toby decided to question her.

"So honey, how was your day?"

She laughed. "You've already asked me that twice already."

"Did anything-did anything unusual happen?"

"Nope-same old boring day that I have day after day. Kevin showed me how many M&M's he could fit into his mouth at once."

Toby's heart felt like it had stopped. He didn't particularly care about Kevin and he sure didn't care about any chocolate covered candy. He cared about Holly and Michael and what they were doing in that office, and why Michael had had his hands all over his wife.

After Holly brushed her teeth and washed her face, she crawled up next to her husband.

"What are you thinking about?" she smiled.

"Oh, work I guess."

"Well that's not very fun," she started tracing along his chest with her fingers. To her chagrin he did not respond.

She was a woman on a mission and did not give up easily. Holly rolled over and climbed on top of him, gently rocking her weight against his. As she went in to kiss him, all Toby could picture was her kissing Michael, and that was a definite mood killer.

"Honey-honey," he finally broke away from her kisses and rolled her back over. "I'm sorry. I can't."

"You can't, or you won't?" Holly fumed as she pulled the blanket off the bed and grabbed her pillow and made her way to the couch. It was going to be a long night for the both of them.


	4. Chapter 4

Michael waited until the end of the day and everybody had left and walked over to the annex. Picking up the picture of Holly and Toby's unborn baby, he sat down and stared wistfully at it for a few minutes.

I want what they have. _Marriage. A baby. Someone to come home to come home to every night. That isn't too much to ask is it? Why does he get what I want-what I deserve? This is nuts. There are other women._

And as he thought about all the other women he knew, only one name came to mind.

0000

"Thanks for seeing me on such short notice," he smiled as he poured the glass of white wine at the restaurant table.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a sitter like this?" Jan smiled, curious as to what Michael wanted.

"I know, but I really think that I'm worth it. We're worth it."

"We?"

"Jan, I've been giving it a lot of thought, and I think it makes perfect sense for us to get back together. I miss you. I like to think that you miss me. I miss us. I miss what made us great. I saw you when you were you, the real you, and you saw me- and we didn't care what the rest of the world thought. So what if the rest of the world thought that we were the absolute worst two people that could have gotten together-ever? I don't care what people think. And I know you don't care either. And what about little Astrid? Astrid needs a father. She's going to need someone to protect her from all the teasing she's going to get from having a name like that, for one."

Jan stared at him incredulously.

"Michael.."

"Jan..I know it was fate that brought you here tonight."

"No, it was the dozen phone calls that you left on my answering machine."

"But it was fate that you finally picked up," Michael smiled, and she finally cracked a grin in spite of herself. He took it as his cue.

"Anyways…I've come to the conclusion that we're soul mates. When it comes to true love nothing or no one can keep us apart. We're kind of like the Titanic."

Jan did a double take.

"What I'm trying to say is…"Jan…will you marry me?"

She could honestly say that she was truly shocked.

00000

Not much surprised anyone at Dunder Mifflin, but everyone pretty much agreed they weren't expecting Jan to show up with Michael Monday morning, let alone for what he had had to say.

"Everyone, you remember Jan. I hope you all make her feel quite welcome because- because she's my soon to be wife and hopefully mother of my yet to be born or even conceived children," Michael proudly announced.

Holly had happened to be standing by Pam when Michael spoke; her jaw dropped, giving Michael the exact reaction he'd been hoping for. He pulled Jan in for a deep kiss, and Holly excused herself. She quickly walked to the restroom, where the tears flew freely.

Instinct told Pam something was wrong, so she followed Holly in there.

"Hey… is everything okay?" she asked gently.

"Yes," Holly lied as she wiped off her face.

"Is it the baby? Are you feeling sick? Do you want me to get Toby?"

"No.." Holly said quickly. "It will pass."

"Michael's engagement seems pretty sudden doesn't it," Pam commented.

Holly nodded.

"Are you okay with it?"

"Why shouldn't I be? I'm happy for him. If he's found true love and has found someone that will make all his dreams come true than he should go for it. I've moved on and have happiness; he deserves the same."

"Do you think he's found it?"

Holly looked at Pam. "I don't think that's my business anymore."

"Well, okay. I'm always here if you need to talk. I hope you get to feeling better," she patted Holly on the arm and excused herself. Holly had wanted to tell her everything, how Jan was no good for Michael and if she wasn't pregnant she would tear her hair out. But there was no reason for that. Michael was free to make whatever decisions he wanted to, even though they were the worst ones he could possibly make. She knew he had hurt him and she had blinded him to other women, so she only had herself to blame for this. But Toby would want her to stay out of this, and Michael wouldn't listen, so she wasn't sure what she would do. Was it for the best that she stay out of Michael's life, or should she risk everything to help out a friend? What should she do?

_Oh Pam, you have no idea how complicated things are. If you only knew._


	5. Chapter 5

Holly tried to pretend that it didn't bother her that Michael seemed happy, and Toby tried to pretend that Holly didn't seem sad. He could blame it on the hormones; at least he had an excuse. He knew that pregnant women could be moody. Kathy's hormones had changed badly when she was pregnant with Sasha, and he had learned to tread carefully. For weeks now he had badly wanted to ask Holly what was wrong, but he had learned that if he asked the wrong question, he would either get the answer that he was afraid to hear, or that women left. Sometimes some things were better left alone.

Even Sasha noticed that something was wrong. "Daddy, when I grow up I don't want any children," she announced one Saturday morning when he was taking her to McDonald's for breakfast.

He looked over at her in the car in shock. "Honey, you've always said that you wanted a boy and a girl. Does this have anything to do with the new baby?"

She shook her head. "It's Holly. She seems so sad. I don't want to be sad when I grow up. I want to be happy when I'm married."

Toby sighed. How could he answer this? Things had gotten so-complicated. He was happy- he loved Holly deeply and was excited about the baby. But Sasha was right. He and Holly were both sad, for different reasons. There was no way he could get into that with his daughter of course, but it was hard for him to know that his child had picked up on that.

"Sasha honey, sometimes when adults get tired, they don't feel quite like themselves. It doesn't necessarily mean that they are sad, it just means that things aren't quite what they need to be. But they will get better. It just takes time to get there."

"Do you get sad?" asked the blond child, with too much innocence.

Toby knew this day was coming. How did he explain that for too long all he knew was sadness? "Yes, Sasha, Daddy feels sad sometimes. But he also feels quite happy. I feel happy when I'm with you, and with Holly, and when I think about the new baby. Don't worry about Daddy. Let me worry about Holly and you and the baby. I want you," he smiled, "to worry about what you want for breakfast, and if you want chocolate milk or orange juice."

"Mommy never lets me have chocolate milk," Sasha giggled.

"Sometimes what Mommy doesn't know won't hurt her," a relieved Toby smiled back, grateful that his was the next car in line at the drive thru window.

0000

Holly continued to balance work, family, and pregnancy. The morning sickness was over, and she was now seven months along and was busy thinking of baby names. She was stunned when Michael called her into his office.

"Holly my goodness you wore orange today- I would be afraid that people would call me an oompa-loompa- but then you never were one to care what people thought," Michael smiled.

Holly rolled her eyes. "Is there something you want Michael, or can I go back to work? I really have a lot to do. I'm really busy."

"Um, actually there is something I needed. I have some news that I'm about to break and I wanted you to be the first to tell you. How are you? Are you and Toby? You look ginormous- like you're ready to pop. I'm surprised you haven't had that thing yet," he laughed.

"I'm only seven months. Toby and I are great, thank you. I know things between you and I have been kind of weird lately but I really hope that one day we can get back to being friends- I miss you. It's just that I think Jan doesn't like me very much."

"Jan? No, Jan's great. In fact, she's better than ever. That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. You two have more in common than you realize. You two should really get together."

"Michael, I don't think that's a good idea," Holly started.

"Holly, I know what you're thinking. What would a former lover of Michael Scott's have in common with his current lover? Here's the punchline- you're both pregnant!"

Holly stared at him in disbelief. He had to be kidding. Jan was pregnant-with Michael's child? Michael was going to be a father? This couldn't be. She had to accept things. Michael had moved on, just had she had a long time ago. The thing was, thanks to Jan, she would never have her friend again, the one who made her laugh, who cheered her up, who got her. She was officially letting go of him at this moment.

She stood up and held out her hand. "Congratulations, Michael. I couldn't be happier for you."

"Thanks," he burst into laughter. "You don't know how long I've…"

She turned around and walked out of his office, not bothering to hear him out. Holly was not going to cry. There was no point. Touching her stomach, she vowed to look forward to her future and never look back, never again.


	6. Chapter 6

Holly, having cried her eyes out, came home with two tickets to Vermont at a cozy bed and breakfast. It was a spur of the moment act , but she needed that. She and Toby needed that. She hadn't felt a connection, a real connection, to him since she'd gotten pregnant. And though she never said anything, those rumors Kevin had started about Michael being her and Toby's daughter's father hurt Toby. Deeply. That was probably one reason they'd only made love twice in five months. They, Holly and Toby, card carrying members of the mile high club, had stopped having sex. They both blamed each other, but in reality there was plenty of blame to go around-or at least that's what Holly told herself anyway. It was easier to blame her husband than to admit what she had been denying- that she still felt feelings for Michael.

God knew how she hated herself. Toby was the love of her life, and there was no doubt in her mind about that. She felt so alive when she was with him. This was supposed to be the happiest time of her life-she was giving her husband everything he had ever wanted. So why was it so difficult? Why couldn't she get her own husband to touch her? The thought had crossed her mind that if her husband made love to her once in a while she wouldn't have these thoughts of Michael. But she blocked that one out right away. She was the bad one, not Toby. He was getting blamed for everything at work by Michael, and the last thing he needed was someone else blaming him. She would not be another Michael in his life.

So when Holly arrived home an hour late, but ecstatic, Toby was naturally curious.

"Is everything okay honey?"

"Yes baby. Everything is better than okay." She ran over to kiss him more passionately than she had in ages. He fell back a bit, grabbing a chair to brace himself.

"Hi," he smiled, before wrapping his arms around her, a challenge in her condition. But it was almost like old times, where coming home wasn't a chore.

"I have a surprise for us Toby," Holly grinned in between kisses.

"Please don't tell me it's twins," he laughed.

"No but that would have been a good one," she smiled. "Even better. Pack your bags. We're going to Vermont."

"Vermont? What's in Vermont?"

"You and I for one thing. And it's beautiful this time of year."

"With the baby coming can we afford it?" Toby inquired.

Holly playfully hit him. "We have everything she needs. I used our bonus money for this. We don't have much time before she gets here and all I really want is to spend some time with the man I love. What's wrong with that?"

He pretended to think about it for a minute. "Okay. If it makes you happy than let's do it."

Holly flung her arms around him. "I love you." And she really did mean it.

0000

She didn't think of Michael, Jan, or their baby once on her weekend trip with Toby. On Friday they settled in and went out to dinner. On Saturday they did some sightseeing, bought some gifts (they found a dollhouse they knew Sasha would love), and ate well. When it got too cold they would find a museum and pop in, and cling close to each other for warmth.

At evening they sat on a couch in their resort in front of the fireplace. Toby grabbed a blanket and covered himself and Holly with it. After a few minutes in her husband's arms, she finally spoke up.

"This is nice."

"Yes, this is."

After a few more minutes she spoke again. "I miss us."

Toby wanted to ask her what went wrong, what he did, what could he change, but instead he settled on, "Me too Hol."

"Do you ever think we can be us again?"

"I'd like that," his voice cracked with emotion. "Very much."

"Of all the people I could be stranded in the middle of nowhere freezing my fat ass off with I'm glad it's with you," Holly sighed as she took refuge in the nook of her husband's arm. It was a good night.

0000

Pregnant sex was tricky sex, but somehow they made it work. Once Holly realized Toby needed reassuring- lots of reassuring- that he wasn't going to hurt the baby, they both were able to relax and get into the spirit of things.

"This kind of feels good," Holly smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Why'd we ever stop?"

At that point Toby couldn't tell her his own name, let alone answer a complex question, but the topic was saved for another day. Why did they ever stop? Sometimes ignorance really was bliss, and neither of them really wanted to know the answer.


	7. Chapter 7

It hurt like hell. There was no other way to describe the pain Holly was going through. Even with the epidural the contractions were strong, almost stronger than she could bear. She hated Toby at the moment, and she reminded him of that every chance she got. She could care less if he ever touched her again, a thought that would become quite ironic in the not so distant future. Toby took it all in stride. Years of abuse from Michael and a previous marriage had prepared him for this day. She didn't mean it. Holly was normally the most loving, considerate person he had ever known. Watching her with Sasha he knew she was going to make a great mother. Speaking of Sasha she was out in the waiting room with Kathy. His daughter had had a tough time adjusting to the idea of becoming a big sister, especially to another girl, but now she had come around. She was probably more excited about the baby than Toby or Holly were.

"Just one more push," the doctor ordered.

"I can't do it," Holly cried.

"Honey you're doing great. Just listen to the doctor. You're almost there," Toby encouraged.

"That's freaking easy for you to say."

"Just breathe," the doctor interjected. "On the count of three…one, two, three…" and with that, a tiny wail filled the room, much to the relief and delight of those in there. The nurse showed the baby to Holly and Toby, then took her to get cleaned up. Holly couldn't believe it; the baby had strawberry blond hair and blue eyes and was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen in her life.

Finally after a small eternity she got to hold her daughter. Toby smiled; his wife seemed like a natural mother. There were tears of joy as Holly cradled her daughter next to her.

"You did it. I knew you would," he smiled as he watched the baby fuss.

"I know. I'm sorry about back there. This motherhood thing… it's new to me."

"No it isn't. You've been a mother to Sasha, a good one, and that's one of the reasons I love you. You're going to do great. She's going to love you as much as Sasha and I do."

"You really love me?"

He nodded.

"Even though I've been a terrible wife?" Tears started to fall down her face.

"You haven't been a terrible wife. Ssh… we'll talk later. Right now the only thing you should be worrying about is what we should name our daughter. We can't keep calling her 'she' forever," Toby grinned.

"How about the name Jennifer?"

"Jennifer Hudson. That's one of Kelly's names."

"What?" Holly laughed.

"Never mind. Do you have any other ideas?"

"I like the name Josie."

He smiled. "Yeah..I can see that. "

"Josie Lynn. Why don't we check it out with Sasha?"

This was definitely turning out to be one of the most perfect days of his life.


	8. Chapter 8

As it turned out Sasha loved the name Josie. She couldn't wait to tell her classmates about the new baby. And she wasn't the one who couldn't wait to share the news. Excited, Toby brought out his cell phone and passed it around to everyone at the office, who seemed thrilled for him. Even Angela found herself curious about the new arrival.

Michael locked himself in his office all day and refused to take any calls. Pam tried to talk to him, tried calling him, tried knocking on his door but he wouldn't answer, not even for her. The day was just too painful of a reminder of his past, and no one blamed him for feeling that way, least of all Toby.

Later that night, two a.m. according to the alarm clock, Josie was crying once again. She couldn't be hungry; she had just been fed at one. Holly had gotten up to check on her; he could see by the empty space in their bed that she had. Ten minutes later, Josie was still crying. Maybe Holly needed some help. Toby got up, put on his robe and slippers and approached the nursery. He was shocked at what he saw. His wife was standing in front of the crib, staring at the baby, not making an effort to move. It was hard for him to decipher what she was thinking or feeling; her face was expressionless. Once Holly heard Toby approach, she turned around and walked out of the room without saying a word. This was bad, very bad. He had a feeling that he was in over his head.

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It didn't seem to get much better. Sometimes when Toby woke up in the middle of the night it wasn't Josie's crying he woke up to but Holly's. Attempting to pacify his wife didn't help. If he tried to talk to her she would say "I don't know what you're talking about" and walk away from him. It would be one thing if she was just giving him the cold shoulder; he'd lived like that pretty much throughout the pregnancy . But watching her with Josie he knew something wasn't right, he just couldn't pinpoint it. They had been through so much and he knew that Holly didn't tell him everything that went on in her life, but still, it hurt him to know that something was troubling her that she couldn't even trust him with.

"Jim…" Toby approached his coworker shyly one day in the break room. He'd seen him go in there and he sensed his opportunity for a few minutes of privacy.

"Hey Toby what's up? How's the baby? Still keeping you up all hours of the night?" Jim smiled as he warmed up his cup of coffee.

"Yes," Toby smiled back. "She's settling down a bit now but she seems to have her nights and days confused."

"That happened with CC. It took us a few weeks to break her of it. You'll be fine. You went through this before."

"Speaking of CC… well not really CC but more like Pam, how was she, you know, after she had CC? Was she, was she okay? Were things the same or were they different?" Toby asked.

"How do you mean different? Babies change everything. You know that."

"I know, but was she a little more, sad, than usual?"

Jim thought about it for a minute. "Well she did cry for a few days. I think most new mothers go through that. Is Holly okay?"

Toby wanted to tell him no, that she wasn't okay, that things weren't okay, but he knew Holly would hate him if he did that. So he did what he had learned to do best during the past year; smile and pretend. "Sure. Everything's fine. She's just a little tired that's all."

Jim laughed. "We've all been there." He patted Toby's arm. "Don't worry. It'll get better," he reassured him as he walked away.

All Toby knew was that he sure hoped so. It didn't look like things could get much worse.


	9. Chapter 9

Everyone tiptoed around Holly when she finally went back to work. Toby never said anything, but they could tell from his behavior that things weren't quite what they should be at home. He was fatigued, short tempered, late to work, he had called off work several times, which was unusual for him, and he had made several mistakes. Michael of course delighted in this change of behavior and liked to call him out on it once he figured out that Toby was slipping in his job performance. Jim and Pam sympathized; they had both been there themselves, and knew that having a baby affected every area of one's lives. Still, it was hard to see someone they cared about obviously suffering. Toby hadn't come out and said it, but Pam and Jim and talked about it, and they knew something was wrong with Holly. Jim told Pam to stay out of it, but of course, she couldn't.

"Holly, glad to see you back. We missed you around here," Pam said when she caught her in the break room heating up a cup of coffee.

"It's good to be back. Don't get me wrong, I miss Josie more than anything but it's kind of nice to be back in the swing of things. I'm sure you understand," Holly smiled as she took her cup from the microwave.

"Boy do I. I felt guilty for leaving her at first but then Jim helped me to see that I was being a good mom by taking care of myself by doing what I did best- doing a job I was good at and taking care of CeCe. It took me awhile to balance both but I got there. Is there anything Jim and I can do to help you and Toby?"

Holly shook her head. "No, I think we have everything under control."

Pam bit her lip. It seemed odd, considering Toby's behavior. "Are you sure? I know having a newborn and balancing a career can be a huge undertaking. I don't know how I would have done it without the help of my friends."

"No Pam. I don't know what you're getting at but I have things perfectly under control. I'm happy with things the way they are. I am happier than I've ever been," Holly said firmly. Then, changing her tone of voice, she softly replied, "But thanks for asking. You've always been a good friend." She smiled as she left a confused Pam behind.

0000

Holly saw Michael watching her through his blinds, so she turned around and knocked on his door.

"Come in," he answered.

"Hi Michael. I saw you looking and I…Well it's my first day back and I thought I should stop in and say hi. I have some pictures of the baby, would you like to see them?" she smiled at him.

"Sure. I would love nothing more than to see pictures of Toby Flenderson's child. That would make my day."

"Michael…"

"No, please, I would love to see them," he lowered his voice. "I'm sure she's a beautiful baby."

He smiled as he looked through them. "Are the DNA results in? Are you sure he's the father?"

Holly laughed. "Michael," she scolded. 

"What? I'm just saying, she's cute, he's Toby, she's human, he's not, you might want to invest in one of those tests."

She rolled her eyes. "How is Jan? How is your baby?"

"Good. She's good, the baby's good, we're preparing the room. She's letting me buy everything she wants and needs for the baby. I'm thinking of taking a second mortgage but that's okay. This baby will not go without. Can you picture me- a daddy?" Michael grinned.

"I'm happy for you," Holly smiled genuinely.

They shared a moment, acknowledging the fondness that they both still felt for each other despite the hurt that Michael still felt. He didn't tell her that Jan often threatened to get Holly fired, and that was a major source of contention between them, but he defended Holly, despite his personal feelings. It was hard for him to see her sometimes but during the past six weeks he had missed her, even though he knew he would have to hear all about the baby he should have had. But it probably didn't matter anymore; Jan was having his baby, Holly had her baby, and for once, everything was right in the world, or so Michael thought.


	10. Chapter 10

Michael was in for the shock of his life when he arrived home only to find Jan standing at the door, Astrid and her bags packed and ready to go. He'd already had a rough day after seeing pictures of Holly's baby but he was not prepared for this.

"What's going on? Are we taking a trip?" he smiled, always the master of denial.

"No, Michael. I'm leaving you," Jan replied coolly.

"What are you talking about? I just took out a second mortgage. I've bought all the baby stuff for our son. We were naming him Michael junior. Look, I brought home a football for him. We haven't had the baby shower for him. You can't be leaving me. There's so much I haven't done for you. At the same time, I've done so much for you. What do you mean you're leaving me?"

"The baby isn't yours, Michael."

He stared at her in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

"I've been seeing another man. I had a DNA test. The results came back. The baby isn't yours. I'm moving in with him. I'm so sorry. I just can't do this anymore. I never meant to hurt you."

Michael picked up the lamp, threatening to throw it, then set it back down. "What the hell? You agree to date me, then you agree to marry me, then you tell me you're pregnant, then you tell me the baby's not mine after I go thousands of dollars in debt just to make you happy? What's next, you're going to tell me you never loved me?"

The look on her face told him everything he needed to know.

"Get out. Just get out. I never want to see your baby or your face as long as I live. Stay away from me."

"I…I don't know what to say…" Jan said before she took Astrid's hand and grabbed her bags with the other then walked out the door. Michael watched her leave, then put his head in hand, then ran to the bathroom and got violently sick. Afterwards he fell to the floor, staying there until he could put a coherent thought together.

0000

Holly was feeding the baby when the phone rang. "I got it," she handed Josie to Toby and grabbed her cell phone.

"Hello?"

"I need you," said the weakened voice from the other end.

Holly walked to the bathroom and locked the door. "Michael? What's wrong?"

"She left me."

"Oh my God. What happened?"

"The baby's not mine. She never loved me. Can you come over?" Michael asked.

"I don't know. I have to ask…"

"Please. I don't want to be alone right now."

"Okay. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Holly?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

She hung up the phone, then went to her husband. "I have to go. I forgot to turn something in at work. I'll be back in an hour."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Toby asked.

"No. That was David. I really have to go. I'll be back. Thank you." She kissed him on the cheek and drove over to Michael's house, feeling terribly guilty for lying.

But her friend needed her, and she couldn't let him down now. She was all he had left.

0000

"Michael you look terrible. Have you been drinking?"

"Wouldn't you?"

"I don't know…I don't know what I would do." She sat down on the floor in front of him. "Is she sure the baby…"

"She had a test done. She showed me the results. Unless she had one of her friends print up some doctored paper, there is no way I'm going to be a father. I spent thousands of dollars on her child, her, and an unborn baby with nothing to show for it but a broken heart, and a wounded pride, which, might add, makes me the biggest fool in Scranton."

Holly reached over and moved the hair away from his eyes. "You're not a fool, Michael. You were in love. There's nothing wrong with that."

"You don't understand. It wasn't her I was in love with. It was you."

"Please don't do this. I shouldn't be hearing this."

Michael looked at her. "It's always been you Holly. I've tried for years to forget you but I've never been able to get you out of my mind. You get me. We're the same. We laugh at the same jokes. You know what makes me me. I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. You are quite possibly the most beautiful woman I have ever met , both inside and out. I have waited for you for years, and I will continue to wait for you as long as it takes until I hear you say the words I've longed to hear: that you love me too."

There was a moment of tension until Michael broke it by leaning in and kissing Holly. To her surprise she actually kissed him back. After a minute she broke away. She stood up and started to panic.

"I can't, Michael. I…I have to go. I can't do this. I'm sorry."

As she fumbled for her keys, she knew what she had to do. She had to tell Toby.


	11. Chapter 11

"Hi honey, did you get everything taken care of?" Toby smiled as he folded baby clothes on the couch.

Holly stared at him, afraid that her guilt was written all over her face.

"What's wrong, did David call and give you a hard time? He can be difficult," Toby chuckled. "But you're home now, Josie's asleep. Maybe we can, you know. I know it's been awhile…"

"I kissed him…" Holly blurted out.

"You kissed David Wallace?" Toby asked, praying it was true even though he knew very well who she meant.

"No baby. I kissed Michael. He kissed me. It was an accident. I never meant for it to happen. It didn't mean anything, I swear. It meant something to him but it didn't mean anything to me."

"So Michael was at the office?"

"No, he was at his home."

"You lied to me?" Toby stood up. "You said you were going to the office." His voice barely rose above its usual level, but Holly knew him well enough to know that he was angry-and hurt.

"I know…but he called me. He was upset. Jan left him, the baby isn't his and he needed someone and…"

"Forget about his baby, what about ours? Don't you.." he stopped for a second. "What about our baby? Don't you think she should come before Michael's?"

"That's not fair and you know it. You know Michael and I are friends."

"If you were just friends you wouldn't lie to me. And friends don't kiss. Not like you and Michael. " He turned around, and started walking towards their bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Holly cried out, following him.

"Please don't follow me."

She fell to the couch, her head in her hands, and started to cry. She knew she had made a mess of things. Nothing had made sense ever since the baby was born. She would get help, do whatever it took if only he would stay. Nothing prepared her for what she saw when Toby walked out a few minutes later, a suitcase, a diaper bag in one hand, and Josie in the other.

"No, Toby, you can't take her," she ordered. "She's mine. You can't have her."

"She's mine too. And I'm taking her. Just so you know, I've been seeing someone too."

"Ah-ha!" She jumped up and pointed at him. "You little hypocrite. You want to take my daughter and act like you're the perfect one when everyone knows you're just as messed up as I am. Who is she? Pam?"

The room grew silent with an awkward pause until he finally spoke up. "I meant that I've been seeing a therapist. Ever since you were pregnant. I've been taking some pills..that's why things haven't been too good at night. It was either that or I fall apart. I figure it was better that and be strong and give some things up. Maybe I was wrong. It looks like I've been wrong about a lot of things," Toby said sadly as he carried out a crying Josie and walked out the door.

Holly wanted desperately to go after them, but with her behavior after the baby was born, she was terrified Toby would use that against her. Instead, she fell to her knees, afraid that she would never get up ever again, knocking the baby clothes off the couch with her.


	12. Chapter 12

Toby realized that he had forgotten his wallet, but there was no way he could go back in the house and get it. So he couldn't exactly pay for a hotel, but there was only one place he could go.

"Toby?" a pregnant Pam asked as she peeked through the door. "Come in. Where's Holly?"

"She's not coming," he said simply but firmly. Pam looked at Jim, and they both knew something terrible had happened. They didn't see his suitcase-he had left it in the car, knowing that with his luck, Pam and Jim would refuse him,- but they saw the diaper bag stuffed full and they could only imagine what had happened. Pam, who had been feeding CeCe, wiped her off and handed her to Jim.

"It's her bedtime. Would you mind, just for tonight?" Pam handed her to her husband, who was glad to get away from the awkward situation. At the same time, he felt more than a passing curiosity about what it was that brought Toby Flenderson to his door at bedtime. Oh well. Pam would tell him later. She was good about that.

"Can I hold her for a minute?" Pam smiled, reaching out for Josie.

"You just handed off one of your own, I'm sure you don't need to deal with another one," Toby half-smiled. "I don't want to be a burden."

"Nonsense," she said taking the baby. "You two are not a burden. You are welcome here anytime. Maybe we've never told you that-Jim, have we ever had Toby over to our house?" she called out.

"Nope, don't think so," came the reply.

"I wonder why that is," Pam remarked. "I mean, I've known you forever, and you've always been a pretty cool guy. It's funny the way life works, isn't it."

"Yeah, it sure is." Pam couldn't tell if he was joking or being sarcastic. She usually never could tell.

"Let me put her down, in the new baby's room, and then we'll talk. I'll be right back," she smiled reassuringly with all of the confidence of a seasoned mother, and then disappeared for a few minutes. Toby looked around. Their home was cozy, with a few things out of place, but not cluttered by any stretch of the imagination. It was lived in. It was a home, not just a house. He envied them.

Pam and Jim came back, holding hands, and sat down on the couch, and he followed and sat on the recliner.

"So…"Jim started.

Toby smiled. "I bet you're wondering what I'm doing here."

"Nope. Wasn't going to ask."

"Did you forget your keys?" Pam asked.

"Honey, he has his keys. He obviously drove here," Jim teased her.

"He could have taken the key off the keychain to give to Holly or something. It's possible."

With the mention of Holly's name everyone grew quiet. It became quite clear that she was the reason Toby was there, not a lost key or some other forgotten task.

"It's okay. I actually, uh, Holly and I are no longer together," Toby stated flatly, in the same tone of voice he would use if he had used to remind Pam to turn in her vacation request.

"What?" Pam and Jim said in unison. They both knew there was trouble in home, but they never expected her to leave him. It had to be Holly leaving him. Toby was not the type of guy to walk away.

"We've been having problems. And I don't know what to do about them anymore. I've tried everything I can think of-I've kept quiet, I've tried not pressuring her, I've taken care of the baby, I've tried talking to her, but after tonight, I can see that there's nothing else I can do anymore."

Pam looked at her husband, then at Toby. "What…what happened tonight?"

"I can't, I shouldn't say anything. It wouldn't be professional."

"We're not at work, Toby. You're in our home. You're our friend. We care about you. What you say we would never reveal to anyone else. You might feel better if you get it out of your system," she gently prodded. "What did she say?"

"It's not what she said. It's what she did." He looked at them. "Holly told me that she kissed another man."

Pam looked at Jim. "Oh no, Toby. That's bad, but that's okay. That might be good that she told you. She feels guilty because she loves you. She doesn't want it to happen again. You can work this out."

"She kissed Michael."

This time, even Pam didn't have the answers, and Toby knew his marriage was in deep trouble.


	13. Chapter 13

To say that it was awkward at the office on Monday was an understatement. Toby had admitted to Holly that he and Josie were in fact staying with Jim and Pam, a fact that only infuriated her only all the more, given his past feelings for Pam. But she knew she couldn't really say too much, considering it was her feelings that had gotten them too this point. Holly had thought about quitting, but her mind had went wild, and thought about how job insecurity would look in a custody battle. She wasn't about to give Toby any more ammunition, not that he didn't have enough to hold over her head. She'd never really seen him angry before. Sure, there were days where he'd practiced swinging at Michael in the mirror, but for him to take such drastic measures, meant that he was at the end of his rope. There was no telling what he was capable of, and she hated that she was the one that made him snap. Everyone knew it would be Michael that would push him over the edge. She didn't want to face either him or Michael, but she had every right to do the job she was getting paid to do. And she did that well, at least she thought she did.

"Hi Jim," Holly said as she walked by his desk.

"Hello," he said without really making eye contact.

"How are you and Pam today?"

"Um, not too bad. Thanks for asking." He started to pretend to type something, anything , if it would make her go away.

"You know…" she started to say something but then thought better of it. She looked up at Pam, then remembered Toby's little crush on her, and now he was living with her, with her daughter instead of working things out the way a husband and wife should. And the worst part was Pam probably had no idea.

"Hi Holly," Pam smiled weakly.

Holly didn't say anything; instead, she walked quickly before Michael could catch up to her and then she took her seat by her husband. They might have been side by side but they may have been miles apart. All she wanted to do was explain things, but he was unapproachable. He had built a stone wall through his silence and hurt that she knew it would only take time to tear down.

"Toby…" she finally said after an hour.

"I'm sorry I'm in the middle of an assignment."

"How is she?"

"She's great. I'll bring her by this weekend-for a visit."

"No I meant Pam."

He pushed back his chair to face her. "If you pursue this I'll have no choice but to inquire about a transfer. I have always gone home to you at night. Always," he reiterated before turning around to do his work.

Holly watched him for a minute, before realize she was fighting a losing battle. She had played a dangerous game, and she had lost. Damn that Michael. He knew what he was doing when he called her to his home that night, and he didn't care who he hurt. It was time to have a talk with him. If she was going down she was taking others with her.


	14. Chapter 14

Holly didn't bother to knock; she just walked in Michael's office as a woman on a mission. He put his finger up in the air while he continued to hold for a phone call, but she didn't care. Hanging up the phone, she glared at him while taking a minute to compose her thoughts.

"Holly? Do you mind? That could have been a life-saving phone call. I could have been making a call to arrange to be a kidney donor for all you know," Michael told her, trying to buy time after avoiding her all morning.

"Really, Michael? First you're in the business of breaking up families now you're playing the hero? Somehow I find that hard to believe," she scoffed.

"Don't blame your problems on me. I can't help it if your husband doesn't understand you the way I do. If you ask me to be sorry for what happened between us, well, I'm not. I was hurt and I could tell you were too. Whatever problems you two were having started way before you came to my home," he argued.

"Alright, maybe, but did you really have to kiss me? That certainly did not help things. We have a past, and there is a reason it is in the past. I loved you once but I made my choice. I am happy where I am Michael. I am in love with my husband."

"Are you?"

Holly sat down on the chair in front of Michael's desk. "Yes, I am. I care about you, and I can see why I kissed you. When I found out you had been deceived it brought back feelings of guilt…what I had done to you before when we were dating. I thought I owed it to you to make it right somehow. I get confused sometimes. Things haven't been going that well for me ever since the baby was born, but that has nothing to do with you or Toby. I'm not doing so well, and it's time I do something about it. Michael," she took a deep breath. "I was in love with you once. I may have lost myself once, but you do remind me of myself. You remind me that I'm a compassionate woman. I mistook those feelings of compassion for something else, and it has cost me everything. You do remind me of myself, and that is why I like being around you. But maybe I haven't made myself clear-I'm sorry, but I'm just not in love with you anymore."

"Wow," Michael shook his head. "That's honest. Some people may say that's refreshing, or other people may say that's cruel. I say- bring it on. If two friends can't be honest with each other then they're not really friends, are they?" he smiled.

Holly knew him well enough to know that that smile was forced, but she knew now that she couldn't help that. Just as she couldn't make Toby stay, she couldn't make Michael unlove her. All she could do was start to take care of herself again, starting at that very moment. It hurt her to walk away, but in the end it was the kindest thing she could do for the both of them.

"I'm sorry. I really am." She didn't even look him in the eye as she walked out the door, and back to her seat, trying to forget about all of the hurt she had caused, knowing that would be an impossible task.

00000

Toby got the email, and was curious about what he had to say. He really didn't want to go to Michael's office, but curiosity got the better of him, and he slowly made his way to the front.

"Yes, Michael. You wanted to see me?"

"Come in. Have a seat. Can I get you anything, coffee or something?" Michael asked in his most formal-polite voice as he shut the blinds. Before he did he could see through the window everyone staring in.

"No thank you. "

"I'm sure you're wondering what this is about."

"I think I have some idea…."

"Your wife came to see me today."

Toby froze up. Even though he was the one to leave, just knowing that Michael called him in to gloat still bothered him. A lot.

"Would you like to know what she had to say to me?" Michael asked.

"Not really…I think I had better go back to work."

"She said that she doesn't love me, Toby. "

Toby looked at him, surprised.

"I know, I felt the same way you do. I thought that she felt the same way I did. But I guess I was wrong. What she basically told me is even though she seems unhappy she is still happy with you of all people somehow- can you imagine that?" Michael asked.

"She..she said that?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Then why does she act so sad all the time?"

"Why did you act so sad all the time? I don't know why, am I a psychiatrist? Here's a thought-why don't you two try talking to each other instead of me?"

Toby smiled for the first time in a long time. "Thanks, Michael."

"Tell anyone and I'll fire you."

"You can't fire…Okay, I won't tell anyone."

As Toby shut the door, Michael debated whether to like himself or to hate himself. It was a beautiful day outside, so just for the moment, he decided on the former.


	15. Chapter 15

Holly was lying on the couch, flipping through the channels, when she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Alarmed, she stood up and picked up the phone, only to see that it was Toby walking in. He didn't say anything; instead they looked at each other before she ran to him and she welcomed him into her arms with an embrace and a kiss, and neither of them dared to move for what seemed like a long eternity. So many emotions came to the surface at that moment as his hands explored her back; feelings of hurt, betrayal, loneliness, most of all, love. As they explored one another thoughts of the past few weeks vaporized and all they knew was they had that moment, and nothing else really mattered.

As they lay side by side on the couch, covered by the throw blanket that he'd picked up for her birthday one year earlier, Holly couldn't help but wonder what this meant. Had everything changed, or were things still the same? Were he and her daughter coming home? She was so tired, so burnt out, that she dared not let herself believe that, but here he was, next to her on a couch that was too small for the two of them, holding her, so maybe she had a right to ask. She didn't deserve it if they were, but things would be different if she would just be given this chance. But after everything she'd been through she knew better than to get her hopes up.

Still, it didn't hurt to ask. "Toby?"

"Mm..hmm?"

"Are you still planning on bringing Josie over this weekend like you promised? I mean, I know it's a little weird and all but.."

He pressed his finger against her lip. "Actually, I was planning on bringing her by tonight if that was okay with you."

"Really?" Holly's eyes filled with tears. "You don't know how much this means to me. I know I messed up and I don't blame you for leaving but please don't keep my baby from me. I need her.. I need you too."

"I know. That's why we're coming home. That is, if it's okay with you."

Now her tears flowed honestly. "Are you serious? I would love nothing more than to have my family back here with me where they belong. I know it's my fault you left and I pushed you away… I've been shutting you out for a long time but I really want to make things work. Do you think we can get back to where we were before?"

Toby kissed her before answering. "I want that more than anything. And it's not entirely your fault. I closed down too and it was easy to let you take the blame for everything. I am good at playing the victim-I'm used to it. But I don't want to be that way with you. I've been working with my therapist and she helped me to see where I got you and Michael confused for a while."

"It didn't help what I did," Holly admitted.

"No, it didn't. But I pushed you away. We haven't really been together since the baby was born. And before that…I really don't want to think about what that was like. So if you ran to Michael it's because I pushed you to him," Toby sighed.

"Oh no, it's not like that. Let's not think about that right now. Let's just get Josie and go out to eat to celebrate," Holly suggested. "I can't think of a better reason why not!"

Toby smiled, and on the drive to Jim and Pam's house, Holly found herself singing along to the songs in the car for the first time in a very long time.


	16. Chapter 16

So on that Friday Holly began what would turn out to be a year's worth of therapy. It wasn't easy for to admit most of the things that came out, like her feelings for Michael, her feelings of inadequacy as a wife and her struggle with postpartum depression. Those sessions took a toll on her, and there were some days (quite a few really) that she thought about quitting. But then she would look at her family, and see all that she had to lose, and she knew she couldn't quit. Not just yet.

Toby was pretty supportive, as he continued seeing his own therapist. Sometimes he would sit in with Holly on her sessions, to see how she was doing and how he could help. The first session he joined her was the hardest; it was the first time she was truly honest with someone other than herself, and even that was quite difficult. But he just sat there and held her hand while she talked or he passed the tissue box, and didn't even protest when Holly vented her marital frustrations. He was part of the problem too, he'd come to realize , even though it had been easier to blame his wife for a while. But like Holly, he was too invested to just give up.

Michael and Holly even learned to get along- it just took boundaries, something neither of them was very good with. But as she practiced them he learned to respect her. They still enjoyed their working relationship, and even shared some laughs again, but it was quite obvious nothing would ever be the same. He even went to birthday parties and at Holly and Toby's, but for the most part had learned to let her go. Now working with Toby on the other hand-nothing had changed there. He'd never stop insulting Toby, no matter how much he had once loved Holly.

0000

Another year later, it was Toby's birthday, and he was unwrapping his presents. He'd gotten the usual tie from Sasha along with a picture she had drawn of him, Holly,her and two babies. He smiled.

"This is really good Sasha. You even gave Josie a baby doll. What's her name?"

Sasha started laughing while Holly just smiled.

"I have a picture for you too honey," Holly said while she presented him with an envelope.

Toby looked confused as he pulled out an ultrasound photo. First he looked at Sasha, then at Josie, then at Holly. "Is this Josie? This is really nice Holly but I don't get it."

"Would you like to tell him Sasha?" Holly grinned.

"Holly's having a baby, " Sasha clapped her hands then hugged her father.

He looked even more confused, if that were possible. "Honey, is this true? Are you and Sasha trying to tell me something?"

Holly grinned and patted her stomach, and then it started to sink in what they were trying to tell him. The first part of him, the rational part, was fear, but then again life with three females had taught him that life was anything but rational, and that it would be okay. Seeing how happy his family was made him happy, and that was the most important thing. Everyone was happy, truly happy, for the first time in a long time, and that was a good thing. He'd once thought that true happiness only existed in Sasha's fairy tale books, and for a long time he's believed that he was right. He still hated his job most of the time, but it was better than it used to be. Michael still picked on him, the work was still boring, and people still ignored him. But he had a home worth coming home to, and that was worth all the money in the world. Who said nice guys always finish last?

The end

**A/N I'd like to thank everyone for reading and especially Jessie33 for her wonderful comments. I wouldn't be this far w/o your support. **

**This was my first attempt at a sequel and it was challenging writing non-canon but I've had a lot of fun with these characters and the two stories. Dirty Little Secret is probably my personal favorite story out of my many stories to write for various reasons, so I just had to do a sequel. It was esp challenging writing for Holly because we didn't know that much about her but it gave me a lot of room to explore- thanks again.**

**SDF**


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